Developing Process Skills in an Engaging Environment
Herbert W. Broda · 2023
This chapter focuses on using the outdoors to teach process skills, and addresses specific content areas. Process skills can be taught either indoors or out. Every content area has its own unique set of knowledge, skills, and values, but there are certain process skills that cut across content lines and are important in most all fields of study. By going outdoors and using the activities, a skill can be practiced in a context that is unusual yet engaging. Careful observation is a critical skill that, unfortunately, is being eroded in our culture by electronic media manipulating our attention. Shapes or patterns can be drawn individually on index cards or several of them can be placed on a sheet. One third-grade teacher liked the concept of exploring textures outdoors, but just did not have enough trees conveniently located on the school grounds.